Appealing to a younger
demographic, MSNBC has recruited social-leaning news start-up Vocativ to produce some edgier, more provocative fare. The Vocativ-produced stories will cover a range of topics from around the world,
and initially appear on MSNBC’s “Ronan Farrow Daily” and msnbc.com.

Vocativ content -- which analysts have likened to that put out by VICE
Media -- will also appear on other NBCU News Group digital platforms.

Less than a year old, Vocativ’s editorial efforts are guided by its analysis of the “deep Web”
-- or the information that search engines fail to find -- according to Mati Kochavi, the startup’s founder.

“Our proprietary technology lets us identify and analyze open
data signals that are lost in the vast sea of digital information,” Kochavi stated.

While in beta, Vocativ broke a number of important stories, including its report on assault
rifle giveaways on Facebook, which led to a change in policy at the social network; some of the first reporting on the evidence of chemical weapons attacks in Syria; and a series of interviews with
Syrian Electronic Army hackers.

The deal is part of a broader effort by NBCUniversal News Group -- which includes NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC -- to connect with new and young
audiences.

The News Group also recently announced strategic collaborations with Revere Digital and its new Re/Code property, and NowThis News.

Launched last October,
Vocativ already boasts a staff of more than 50 analysts, engineers and journalists.